Coban’s POV
The meeting dragged on another ten minutes, mostly full of rules they thought they needed to spell out for me, as though I was some rookie who didn’t know how to cover his own tracks.
“You don’t talk about this to anyone. Not your female, not your friends, not the guards… No one,” the taller one said, all stiff and official.
I tilted my head at him, unimpressed. “You think I’m stupid enough to flap my mouth about shit like this? This ain’t exactly my first rodeo!”
The shorter one jumped in before his partner could answer, his voice squeaky with nerves. “Also, just to add, you must wait until we give you the signal. No strikes, no slip-ups, no suspicion until then. This needs to be clean and done how we want it done.”
I rolled my eyes so hard it hurt. “Jesus Christ, you two sound like you’re teaching kindergarten. Don’t talk, don’t move without permission, don’t get caught. I got it. You want me to quit breathing myself too?”
They didn’t like my tone, but they knew better than to argue with me already.
The taller one straightened his tie again, clearing his throat like he was trying to salvage his authority. “We’ll expect your list tomorrow night. That gives you just short of twenty-four hours to think it all over.”
A yawn ripped out of me before he even finished the sentence, wide and heavy, echoing in the pristine little room. I stretched my arms above my head with a groan, bored of this charade already. “Yeah, yeah, great. Now get me the fuck back to my room. I’ve had enough bedtime stories for one night.”
They exchanged a look full of slight irritation, like they weren’t used to being dismissed or spoken to like this before, but neither of them argued. They couldn’t. Because now the control was mine. The ball was in my court, just the way I liked it.
When they finally stood, I pushed up too, dragging my chair back across the soft carpet. My eyes caught the bowl of chocolates in the middle of the table, all shiny wrappers glinting under the lamp. Without breaking eye contact, I reached out and scooped the whole thing up with one hand. Neither of them said a word about it either. Good. Because they knew damn well I could walk out with a hell of a lot more than just these chocolates if I wanted to…
The walk back through the staff-only corridor felt shorter this time, the weight of anticipation gone now that I had my answers. I knew what they wanted. I knew what they were offering. And I knew exactly how to twist it all in my favour. Killing Newman wouldn’t be hard. It would be as easy as breathing. But first? First, I was going to squeeze every last drop of privilege out of them to make sure Margot was looked after. My Bella deserved better than this shit hole, and I was going to wring these bastards dry until she got it.
By the time we stepped back into the familiar stench of Block F, I already had the beginnings of my list forming in my head.
The two suits kept walking with me like I needed an escort, until we passed the night guard slouched in his chair by the desk. His eyes flicked up, curious but not curious enough to ask questions.
“I don’t need walked right to my fucking doorstep,” I cut in, waving the suits off like they were stray dogs sniffing too close. “Don’t insult me.”
The shorter one flinched, the taller one nodded stiffly. “Of course. Thank you again for the talk, Mr. Santorelli, We’ll… catch up tomorrow night.”
Catch up. Like we were having tea and biscuits instead of plotting a fucking execution.
I scoffed under my breath, shaking my head as I left them behind.
The cell door creaked open, and the silence inside hit me like a wave. Margot was already asleep, curled up under the covers, her braid sprawled across the pillow, her face soft in the low light. An angel, lying here right in the middle of hell.
The tension I’d been holding in my shoulders all night finally cracked, leaking out in a curse under my breath. I hated that I’d been gone this long. Hated that she’d had to fall asleep without me there after the day she’d had.
I set the stolen chocolates down on the desk, stripping out of my blood-stiff shirt, every muscle aching with exhaustion. I badly needed to shower… but the thought of stepping away from her again made my chest twist. Not tonight. Not after everything she’d seen.
I kicked off my shoes instead, dragging a hand down my face. My palms still smelled faintly of iron and bleach, of Sarah’s blood, even after the half-ass wipe the medics shoved at me earlier. It clung to me, just like the memory of her limp body on that floor.
But then my eyes slid back to Margot, breathing slow under the thin covers. The tightness in my chest eased, just a fraction. My Bella.
I cursed again under my breath, softer this time, and moved to the bed. I slipped under the covers carefully, the mattress dipping under my weight. Her body shifted instinctively, rolling toward me even before I touched her. Her face brushed my chest, her hand searching until it found my side, curling up weakly like she’d been waiting all night just to know I was here.
My arm slid around her slowly, hesitant at first before tightening and pulling her close. Her warmth seeped into me instantly, calming the restless edge I hadn’t been able to shake since the suits dragged me out.
“Fuck…” I muttered low, pressing my chin lightly against the top of her head. I should’ve been thinking about strategy, about what to write on that list, about the quickest way to gut Newman without drawing suspicion. But all I could focus on was her breathing syncing up with mine, the way her body relaxed like she trusted me not to let the world touch her in here.
I exhaled hard, closing my eyes, forcing my thoughts to quiet.
Tomorrow, I’d deal with the suits. Tomorrow, I’d make my list and start getting her what she needed. But tonight? Tonight, I just needed her in my arms, as I made one last wish that I would last the night without any new nightmares or black outs coming to me – for her sake… I couldn’t allow that to happen, not again… Not ever…